Sack-loading device



April 16,1935o M. R. FRANKENFHEL@ 4 1,998,191-

SACK' LOADING DEVICE M. R. FANKENFEEL@ SACK LOADING DEVICE Filed Dec. '71954 Apm m9 1935.

2 sheets-sheet 2 am., s W mf Patented Apr. 16, 1935 IT ED' Par-ErriOFFICE 8` Claims.

5, paper bags of thevdesired size from a largerffcontainer.

The primary object of the invention isjtoprovide improved means forholding sacks; during.'

a. loading; operation and?` particularlymeans for spreadingjtheopenrtopofi the paper bag: andholdinga it openy during. a` loadingloperation.

'Ihe invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of adevice embodying the invention showing the front door of the casing openand the loading hopper .tilted back out of operative position; Fig. 2 isa plan view of the same with the casing closed and the hopper in loadingposition; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device in theposition shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as indicatedat line 4 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a modication showing the casing doorand hopper linked together so that the two will open and closesimultaneously.

In the embodiment illustrated A designates a casing provided with a dropdoor A' and upstanding partition walls A2; B an open bottom hopperhinged to the casing A; and C spreader-means for opening and holding thetops of the paper bags during a loading operation.

The casing A may be of any suitable construction preferably having anangle-iron frame 6 which is covered with galvanized iron sheeting 1.Preferably, the frame is provided with rearwardly extending horizontalsupporting members 8 to prevent the device from overturning when thehopper is turned back.

The front wall of the casing A is of similar construction and is hingedto the lower front portion of the casing as indicated at 9.

The hopper B may also be formed of galvanized iron or the like andpreferably has an iron frame I0 to provide strength without greatlyincreasing the weight. The hopper is journalled on the upper rearportion of the casing by means of spring hinges I I, the springs helpingto counterbalance the weight oi' the hopper. The hopper is provided withan open bottom and has a iront ilange I2 which is adapted to overlap thetop I3 of the drop-door A' and to hold the same in closed position. Thehopper is further provided on its lower side with depending flanges I2ain which is slidably mounted spreader-mechanism C. As

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(Cl. 22e-59) best; shown. in Figs. 1` and Zthe spreader-mechanism`comprises a pair of trombone-like slides Ill and I5 equipped at oppositeends with outwardly extending handles` IB'and I1. As shown in Fig. itheslideszmayfbe in the formoi half-roundsand both ofthe slides impalethe spreader-members I8. Alternate spreader-members are connected to theslide I4 by.v means of' set screws I9 and the remainder ofthespreader-membersare rigidly connected. to the slide member I iiv bymeans of= set screws2. Thus-itv will be understood that if partiallyopened paper bags 2l are placed in the compartments 22, formed by theupstanding partition walls A2, the hopper B, with the spreader-membersin the position shown in Fig. l may be swung down into the positionshown in Fig. 2 and the tops of the bags opened by moving the handles I6and II outwardly. A bushel of potatoes or other merchandise may then bedumped into the hopper and distributed evenly between the bags in theVarious compartments without danger of breaking the bags or overloadingthe same. The hopper may then be tilted back, the door A swung forwardlyand the filled bags removed without difficulty. Usually each of the bagswill contain within a few ounces of the weight of the merchandise in thecompanion bags.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the casing 25 is provided with adrop door 26, as above, and the hopper 21 which is hinged to the casing25 at 28 has a downwardly projecting rigid arm 29 which is connected tothe door 26 by means of a pitman 30. If desired, a lost-motion connection 3| may be provided between the arm 29 and the pitman 30 so that thedrop door may be closed a little before the hopper swings into its exactloading position. The operation is the same as described above exceptthat the door and hopper are opened and closed simultaneously.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible, in View of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A device of the character set forth compris,- ing: an open top casingadapted to confine a plurality of open-top paper bags of rectangularcross section; an open bottom hopper hinged to said casing in superposedposition; and movable means on said hopper for simultaneously spreadingopen the tops of all of said bags and holding them open while the sameare being lled from said hopper.

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2. A device of the character set forth comprising: an open top casinghaving upwardly eXtending spaced walls forming a plurality ofcompartments, each of said compartments being adapted to conine closelytherein the side walls of an open-top bag; a hopper mounted on saidloading chamber, said hopper having a bottom opening communicating withsaid compartments; and spreader-means for opening and retaining the topsof said bags open in said compartments during a loading operation.

3. A device of the character set forth comprising: an open top casinghaving upwardly extending spaced Walls forming a plurality ofcompartments, each of said compartments being adapted to confine closelytherein the side -Walls of an open-top bag; a hopper mounted on saidloading chamber, said hopper having a bottom opening communicating withsaid compartments; and spreader-means on said hopper for opening thetops of all the bags in said compartments simultaneously and holdingthem open during a loading operation.

4. A device as specified in claim 3, in which the spreader-meanscomprises pairs of opposed spreader-members for each compartment, andmeans drawing said spreader-members against the side walls of eachcompartment.

5. A loading-device comprising: an open-top casing having a plurality ofupstanding partition- Walls forming open-top compartments adapted toconfine closely therein the side walls of open top paper bags; anopen-bottom hopper hinged to said loading chamber; and spreader-membersslidably mounted on the hopper near the bottom thereof and dependinginto said compartments, said members being adapted to open said bags andhold them open during a loading operation.

6. A device as specified in claim 5, in which the front wall of thecasing is in the form of a forwardly swinging drop-door and the hopperis provided with a flange adapted to overlap said door and hold it inclosed position.

7. Mechanism as specified in claim 5, in which alternatespreader-members are mounted on one trombone-like slide, and theremainder of the spreader-members are mounted on a similar companionslide, said slides being movable in opposite directions.

8. A loading device comprising: an open top casing having a forwardlymovable drop-door hinged to the base of said casing, and a plurality ofupstanding partition walls forming open-top compartments adapted toreceive open paper bags; an open-bottom hopper hinged to said casing soas to swing rearwardly with respect to said door; movable means on saidhopper for spreading open the tops of all the bags and holding them openduring a loading operation; and linkmeans connecting said hopper anddoor so that both members will open and close simultaneously.

MILES R. FRANKENFIELD.

